According to the case filed by the police, city-based businessman Jayant Patel had allegedly received as many as five calls, in July and August, from a person who identified himself as gangster Fazl-ur-Rehman.

Rehman, who had said he was calling from Dubai, had demanded Rs 25 lakh as protection money from Patel, the police said.

When Patel did not heed to the demands, the record states, two armed men had opened fire at his office in Ellisbridge area on October 7, 2000 at around 3.30 pm, to threaten Patel.

The Ellisbridge police had lodged an FIR and the investigation was handed over to Ahmedabad Crime Branch.

The defence lawyers argued that prosecution had failed to establish that Rehman had called from Dubai and sought protection money as had been alleged.

“The investigating officer failed to prove that he had identified the caller. The police had not even verified on paper that the phone number was registered in Dubai. The police did not produce any evidence to show that the caller was Fazl-ur-Rehman,” said advocate Kunal N Shah, who appeared for Rehman. Earlier on November 30, a sessions court had acquitted Rehman and Bhogilal Darji from the alleged kidnapping of businessman Gautam Adani, the owner of Adani Group.